Edge of your seat thriller! The setting on the ice in Antarctica just adds a layer of thrill to this book. It apparently is part of a series that I will now go looking for - because I enjoyed this one so much. The teaser at the end is just mean because it makes me want the next story NOW!

One of my reading goals for 2020 was to include more romantic suspense into my book lists and Whiteout by Adriana Anders was the perfect way to get started on this goal!

This was my first Adriana Anders novel and certainly not my last. Whiteout is the first book in the Survival Instincts series and tells the thrilling story of two characters - Angel Smith, a chef, and Ford Cooper, an ex-veteran/current scientist studying glaciers - living and working in a remote science station in Antarctica. Cooper is a full time worker at the station and likes to keep his distance from everyone else. His world is shaken up when he meets the lovely (and lively) Angel who decided to work the summer months at the station.

On the last day for the summer workers, Angel misses the plane when she witnesses a murder at the base and risks her life to hide the research wanted by the bad guys. Cooper arrives back at the deserted station (after finding his drilling sites completely destroyed) to find Angel locked in a freezer. With no other options and no help in sight, Coop and Angel team up to trek across the uncertain and deadly plains of Antarctica.

I absolutely adored Anders writing style in this book. Her storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat and I really struggled to put it down. It felt like each time I needed to put the book down, something major would happen and I'd promise myself over and over again: 'just one more chapter'. Angel and Cooper were such great characters too. Their personalities were relatable and approachable, and I kept my fingers crossed that they would just finally catch a break. The lengths those two went through was astounding and I loved their interactions, not only with each other, but with the side characters too. I'm not sure yet if the next book in the series will be focused on Angel and Cooper again or the side characters but I would be happy with either. I want more Angel/Cooper but I also want more from the side characters.

My only concern was I struggled to understand the Director's backstory and wished that was explained a little more clearly but given how Whiteout ended, I think there is definitely more opportunity for this in book 2. And speaking of endings, talk about a cliffhanger. Anders really knows how to leave a reader wanting more and I can't wait to read more from this series and from Anders!

Disclaimer: Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book after reading the blurb, but after several tries, I just couldn't connect with it. Maybe because of the locale (Antarctica) and because I'm freezing in the middle of winter myself, but I felt like I was forcing my way through this read. I can't give this a bad review because I didn't finish reading it, and while it wasn't the book for me, the writing and editing were good. Maybe I'll give it a shot in the future. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Many contributing elements made me excited to read Whiteout by Adriana Anders, but somehow all of those elements never managed to coalesce into a story I cared about or enjoyed. First, there was the author: I’d read a previous romance by Adriana Anders that I remembered enjoying. So I was excited to read something else by her. Then, there was the unusual setting (I won’t say unique, because there’s a graphic novel and a movie based on the graphic novel with the EXACT SAME TITLE that also involves murder in Antarctica. But I digress…). I don’t find many romances set in Antarctica, so that sounded like a fun change of pace. There were also some nods to diversity early on which I was really excited to see represented in romance. Angel is apparently Latinx, and Ford/ Coop is neurodiverse, with a sensory processing disorder. Finally, I hadn’t read a romantic suspense or action adventure book in awhile, and I thought this might be a good way to reintroduce myself to the subgenre. I’m sad to say it wasn’t.

Some of my lack of connection to the story and frustration with the author’s writing may simply have been that I don’t apparently favor this type of story, and because it might have been me, not the book, I didn’t rate the story lower. I don’t think it’s incredibly sexy to have a big strong man who will go around killing people brutally to protect me. I don’t like simplistically evil villains. I’m especially not into where this story went with the murder and the reasons behind it. I don’t mind murder mysteries, or even stories dealing with serial killers. But somehow I missed that this story was about a huge transnational conspiracy behind the murders. You know, gummint out to get you, in league with big evil corporations. (Not a spoiler…you find this out pretty earlier in the book.) I don’t doubt that this happens far too often, but I don’t enjoy these themes in fiction. I should have known this book wasn’t my speed when the story started off with a gross scene about someone being badly beaten and slowly dying. But I charged on.

What about the diversity? I was initially excited to see neurodiversity and a Latina heroine represented. But…how are we told that Angel is Latinx? In addition to her name and dark coloring, her mama’s pasteles are mentioned several times, and another character mentioned once that Angel speaks Spanish. Also, apparently she smells like cinnamon and spices and loves to dance. It’s a weak effort at representation that does not affect her character much apart from where it is mentioned. But at least the author tried to diversify her book. A little more attention is given to Ford’s sensory processing disorder, because it’s used to excuse a lot of his behavior and attitude. But his neurodiversity was only mentioned when it could advance the plot (like being overwhelmed at a noisy party), and otherwise didn’t seem to affect his behavior throughout much of the story.

The writing itself felt pretty clunky. I never connected to either Angel or Ford, didn’t buy into their romance OR their sexual attraction, and didn’t really care what happened to them. And as I mentioned, the villains are extremely simplistic. Brutish violent monsters who drink and curse and have herpes sores (no, really) and don’t just murder people, but enjoy it. While loudly crunching mints. Trust me, that must be important, because it’s mentioned several times in the story. Also used frequently is the author’s tendency to use the phrase “the man” or “this woman” or “that man”–everyone was referred to constantly by other characters as “man” or “woman,” whether it was Angel thinking dreamily of Ford, or one of the villains raging over how the hero and heroine kept eluding them. Aside from constantly reinforcing a binary view of sexuality, the use of those phrases was so repetitive as to become not just noticeable but tedious.

Then, finally, just when the story seemed like it should be wrapping up, there was another 10-20 percent of the book to read. Because we were suddenly introduced to a whole new cast of characters, complete with their full names AND nicknames (because everyone had a “cool” nickname, like Leo or Ans or whatever) and their former military service and and their particular special skills. It was great to see a woman of color as the indispensable pilot, but otherwise I was just incredibly frustrated. I thought I’d finally finished the book, but no, we had to go through several more chapters detailing who these new characters were, and how they ran rescue missions and called in favors to subvert international regulations and national laws, but all for the greater good, so it was OK, and they were not only heroes, but COOL, and don’t you want to read a whole series about them?

No, no, I don’t. I thought this book had a lot of potential to be an enjoyable read for me, but I was incorrect. If you prefer simplistic stories with militaristic/ veteran heroes who are mavericks who buck the system when it suits them to go rescue people or something (like NCIS, for instance), then you may enjoy this. I did not, and I’m sorry to say it makes me hesitant to try anything else by this author in the future.

I read Whiteout around Christmas when my Southern California body was craving some snow vibes, and oh goodness did it deliver! If you want a romantic suspense with a lot of snow, read one set in Antarctica. The plot of this one is so intense, and downright terrifying at times, but I loved every second of this wild ride. ⁣⁣
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Angel Smith took a job as a chef at a remote research station in Antarctica to get away from her cheating ex and start a new life. But the station is attacked on the day she is due to leave back for the states, and soon she is left at the station with glaciologist Ford Cooper. They must trek through the isolated area in the middle of a frozen winter in order to survive. ⁣⁣
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If you love grumpy hero/sunshine heroine and “there’s only one bed” as much as I do, this one should be on your TBR. Granted it’s actually “there’s only one sleeping bag” but it still made for some great forced proximity.
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Like I said, this one is INTENSE! Angel and Ford are basically hunted once they escape the research station, and they have to make it across hundreds of miles in order to survive. In the middle of a frozen winter. It’s basically a forced proximity lovers dream, a grumpy hero with only the heroine to talk to for hundreds of grueling miles. Add in lots of nights of sharing a tent and a sleeping bag (for warmth and survival!) and the chemistry between these two was inevitable. ⁣

I really loved this one, but I wasn’t prepared for it to end with a cliffhanger! The relationship between Angel and Ford is more stable by the end, but the question of who the real villains are is not. And people that are hunting them are still very much a part of the story until the last page and the book ends with a lot of unanswered questions. I’ll be over here dying for the next book! ⁣⁣
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I would recommend reading Whiteout if you love romantic suspense, grumpy heroes, and “there’s only one bed” situations. Whiteout was a four star read for me! I cannot wait to see where the rest of this series will go!
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A tense, action-packed romantic thriller set in the last place on Earth (literally) I'd imagine for a love story. Well-paced and with a great sense of mounting dread and fear for these characters.

I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Jan 28, 2020

I received Whiteout from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Wow this was an action packed romantic suspense book. The heat between Angel and Ford might melt the artic. This book kept me turning the pages until the end. The book was full of many twists and turns, how anyone can survive in such a brutal place is amazing to me. It is amazing how a person can push themselves past their limits when their life is at stake. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I really enjoyed this book. I feel it was really well written and was able to connect to the characters. The story kept my attention thru out the book. The only thing I was disappointed in was that there was never an explanation as to what had happened to Ford's throat.

WHOA! This book is a perfect storm of goodness! Throw in Antarctica, deep ice virus, bad guys, horrible corporation/government, storms, snow and ice, cross country skiing, and then a little romance and you have a killer of a book. I was blown away by how good this was, like I couldn't go to bed and had to finish good. This is a one setting book and as people say going to have a book hangover from it!

Angel is the main cook at the research station and gets left behind from the summer plane, she is smart, loyal, stubborn, and best of all badass power through woman. As someone who cross country skis- pure love for her after her challenge! Ford or Dr. Ford Cooper is a glaciologist who is ex-military and now science nerd who is cold, loves the cold, not friendly, or as Angel calls him Ice Man. As a scientist I can see Ford's character so well and loved his development and falling in love through the whole book.

This was my first Adriana Anders and loved her writing, her research to make this all feel real, the development of the characters- who had some great chemistry- that she let be a slow burn! Her ability to write strong powerful women leading ladies- that you can see in real life!

I can't wait for the rest of this series! It will be a must read for me! (Make sure to read Deep Blue- Book .5 which will give you some ideas of plot and side characters)

4.5 stars!

Fans of Survivor and Naked and Afraid (only with more clothes on (necessity, people, not want LOL)) are going to love Adriana Anders' Whiteout as much as I did. It's a survivor story that pairs up the unlikeliest of duos in one of the harshest climates. I couldn't put this book down.

Angel and Ford are at odds & ends when they first meet. Ford is more of a loner, always working out on the ice, and he goes out of his way to avoid Angel. He has no intention of leaving Antarctica, and he doesn't like people or complications, and Angel is too vibrant to keep on the ice.

Angel is definitely a people person. She's a cook running from her own displacement in the world, but she's leaving soon and she doesn't know what comes next. While she's drawn to the grumpy and aloof Ford, she also thinks he's a jerk who hates her.

Things aren't looking so good when they find out they're the only two left at the site with missing equipment, limited resources, and enemies on their tails.

Luckily, we have an Angel. And a Coop.

I loved how Coop knows what to do and has the whole quiet, alpha thing. But also, Angel knows her shit, too. The way Coop listened to her opinion and valued it? I'm here for it. Watching these two overcome their initial impressions and get to know each other--becoming a team--out on the ice was something I didn't want to end. There were these pockets of such honest moments and feelings and unexpected hugs...loved!

And if competence porn is your thing...you've got it.

The only thing that I didn't really enjoy was the drawn out ending. It went on a little too long, imo, and there are a lot of external enemy plotlines. That said, from the sleeping bag hijinks to the trek through subzero weather to the slow awakening of both of these MCs to each other, I fell in love hard with this book.

And there's much more to come suspense wise. *puts on gear* I'm ready.

CW: murder (not MCs), gun violence

Chalk and cheese strikes again!

Micky read this super early and it was her being all excitement over it that inspired me to request, hoping I might catch it before the release date, and be able to swoon alongside her for this new title, and new series opener, from a new-to-me author.

But I pretty much didn't get on with anything about this story. The only thing that worked for me was the realistic weather experience, the harsh conditions, and the very practical conversations surrounding said realities (dealing with waste out on the ice, periods, blisters, everything!).

Otherwise, the plot? Both very slow moving and very action-move-style outlandish. The characters? Not interesting or, at least, not any I could connect to. The romance? Didn't buy it. And as for the ending.. I just.. it's a lot.

I also had an irrational irrational over the name 'Angel Smith', particularly as she was referred to by both names for 97% of the book. Not Angel. Angel Smith. Every time. And I just.. no, it wasn't working for me, I'm sorry. I did say it was irrational..

This is clearly a me problem, not the book itself, as so many of my good friends -- not just Micky! -- have read and loved this. I just wish I could count myself among them.

While this is definitely being set up for a big ensemble, conspiracy-filled, action series, I won't be reading on.

Whiteout has to be my most favorite book from Adriana Anders so far. Just reading this book, my mind translated everything that was happening as if it were a movie in my head. I love the pace at which this book moves. I love Angel and Ford and I hope in get to see more of them in the future. This book is an absolute must read.

Initially, I picked this up because a Twitter friend of mine recommended it as the romance equivalent of The X-Files episode "Ice" without the earworm alien, and that comparison definitely wasn't unfounded — but there's so much to love about this suspenseful and thrilling romance by Anders which really pumps up the stakes and tosses its leads into a lot of life-or-death situations. Of course, the romance between Angel and Ford is scorching enough to melt even the thickest ice shelf, and there's a clear setup here for a continuing series, so if they're all as entertaining as this one was, I'm looking forward to making Anders a must-buy author for me in the realm of romantic suspense.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Synopsis:
In the Ice Tunnels of Burke-Ruhe Research Station in the South Pole, a dying man tries to keep himself alive in order to warn the others. Twenty-two miles away from that man, Ford Cooper is at the field drilling site. His mind filled with the suspicious new crew and the station's cook, the bubbly Angel Smith who will be thankfully gone by the next day. She invaded his thoughts at the oddest of times and he didn't need the distraction.

Angel is a chef who had taken up the job at this end-of-the-world place to get away from her past. And she was handed over a new beginning, with nothing waiting for her at her non-existent home in Pittsburgh, a clean slate to start her life again. But on her last day, while ensuring that the handful who stayed back for winter didn't starve, she misses the only plane that took back the summer crew. Why? Because she witnessed a murder and she couldn't be allowed to stay alive by the killers.

Review:
I love me a good thriller. And when it's combined with frigid weather and impossible survival conditions, it's a recipe for a good book. I think Dan Brown's Deception Point was a book of this scale that I last read.

Thirty-one-year-old chef Angel had preferred to go to the South Pole to leave behind what had happened. And with her tenure coming to an end, she was leaving again. While she was glad for the fresh start in life, there was nothing and no one to look forward to in the States from where she came, she would dearly miss this family she had right here, even if not the whiteness of the ice and the cold.

The author's icy and cooking references provided some much-needed relief from all the danger and the lingering suspense. Angel calls Dr Coop the Ice Man, he seemed to like the ice so much that he never even looked at her. And when he did, it was as if she was an unsavoury addition to the team.

"Ford Cooper didn’t do hugs—not as a kid or as a sniper in the U.S. Army, nor as a research scientist in the most unwelcoming field on earth."

Thirty-eight-year-old Dr Ford Cooper has made the Antarctic his home, he thrives in that cold weather, with his drills and equipment, and there is nothing that can distract him from his work. Except for that new chef Angel Smith to whom he feels attracted to but is in constant denial.

Through Angel's dialogue, we are made aware of the hardships of life in Antarctica. Reading a book set there sounds fun and thrilling but actually being there, damn! While I've read many romantic suspense stories with the revenge angle, this whole plot is what originally made me fall in love with the genre. And Adriana Anders has done a hell of a job in this one! There's those who are in-your-face evil, and then there's those who are the actual masterminds. And this has both! You never know where the next attack is coming from. And I'm not going to reveal who they are or what their purpose is, you've to read it and find it out for yourself. Only dropping this quote here:

"It was the survivors, after all, who wrote the books for future generations."

There is something in one of the ice cores that Coop found. And after their research station is destroyed, decisions have to be made, with the next nearest research station being that of the Russians - the Volkov Station. But, nothing is too close in the expanse of Antarctica.

"Why bring violence to the most peaceful continent on earth?"

Spanning a time period of close to a month, and skiing through Antarctica which is so not a cakewalk, starts Ford and Angel's twenty-one-day journey with provisions, and the five metal canisters that contained Ford's discovery, before they get to them.

Reading this in the cold weather will certainly give you more jitters. Because it is exactly what the series is titled. It is about survival, about staying alive come what may. But it's about humour too, in the form of Angel's mouth. The things she calls Ford and the freezing wind that roars through the Antarctic.

"Even now, running for their lives, she made him laugh."

It is one terrific romantic suspense, with a fair amount of breathtaking thrill. Especially the thrilling part at the end made me realise how perfect the deadly combination of an ex-army turned glaciologist and a chef can be. But as they say, when you think everything's gonna be alright, there's still a 'clusterfuck' left to be committed by the antagonists. And don't even get me started on Eric Cooper, Ford's older brother. The way he thunders in - *swoon* - can someone please make a movie on this book? I would recommend this to everyone who gulps down thrillers, because as much romance as there is in this book, it is one hell of a ride too!

There's an epilogue also. And it sets the premise for the next book. The events of this one have been rounded up nicely. And I'm excited for the next round of action and also for some of the revelations regarding Coop's discovery. Eagerly waiting for Book Two!

Thank you to the author, the publishers - Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book.

I will post this review on Amazon, Goodreads, and share on various social media sites on the release day.

Whiteout is the first book by Adriana Anders I have read. I can say that I will be picking up the second in this series. Anders writes a perfectly balanced book, enough romance to keep me rooting for the couple and enough suspense to keep me guessing. Angel is a chef at a remote Antarctica research center. Coop (AKA, Cooper, Ford, Iceman…you get the picture) is a researcher at the same center. The two are unlikely paired together for a deadly trek across the Antarctica ice. Chemistry hot enough to melt the entire continent ensues while crazed men are on their tails for a very valuable ice sample.

Three stars. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview WhiteOut by Adriana Anders. The setting is in the cold Antarctica wilderness. A young woman is left behind at a station with another scientist. Together they must get to another station because something is going on and danger lurks in this cold dark setting.
The plot is good but the characters were difficult to like. Too much dialog and unnecessary information made this one a difficult read.
Just not my style, but others may enjoy because of the mix of romance.
2.5

Unfortunately I can not seem to get into this book. I have sat down to try reading this several times and it just doesn't seem to hold my attention, I apologize to the author that I am unable to give a better review.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well that I love a story set in Antarctica. It appears to be rare enough to set a story on that continent that when I do find a book that takes place there I'm going to immediately want to read it because: Antarctica!

Whiteout is a romantic suspense novel that follows Angel - a base cook ready to leave Antarctica for good - and Ford - a former military man turned glaciologist - who must trek across the hostile continent to escape from man bent on killing them and reclaiming something he believes belongs to him.

What can I say about this book?

First, I chose to read it on one of our hottest Summer days, which may have actually been an inspired choice, because Anders wrote the landscape in such a way that I could (almost) feel the cold.

But more seriously, this book was tense from the first two chapters onward. The book opens with a man being tortured to death for information on ice core samples and the story really takes off from there.

Angel Smith came to Antarctica to recover from an accident and a bad relationship. As a cook, she's made plenty of friends on the base and is a bright light for many of them as she shares the food she makes with enthusiasm and enjoyment. The only person she can't quite crack is Ford Cooper, a man who refuses to let any emotion show and avoids Angel at any cost  because she's just too loud, and he'd rather spend his time alone on the ice.

Angel is the one to stumble on the deadly plot and is left behind by the antagonists when the weather turns until it comes to light that Ford is also still at the base and the two hatch a plan to escape to the next closest base and radio for help from there. The only problem is that it requires them to cross 250 miles of ice and snow during the on-coming Winter season and they have limited food supplies and injuries that will inevitably slow them down.

I really enjoyed the characters of Angel and Ford - very different from one another, they provided a good contrast to each other as the story progressed. Despite being out of her league for such a journey, Angel is a strong woman determined not to let circumstances (or Ford's cold shoulder) beat her down. Her persistence and strength is what begins to thaw out Ford's feelings toward her. Likewise, we begin to understand why Ford is the way he is and the loyalty he can feel when motivated.

The antagonists were, to be honest, kind of cardboard-cutout-y, but it didn't really matter because the romantic suspense element was pretty good. There's decent sexual tension between the main characters, threat of certain death the whole way through the book and a setting so vast and unforgiving that you never, for a second, believe that anything Angel and Ford do is easy.

I'm not sure yet if I'll continue the series, but this story was everything I wanted: tense, action-packed and with a romance story that was on-point.

Normally I would say that I'm not a big fan of romantic suspense, but this book might have proved me wrong.

Angel is the summer cook at a research station in Antarctica, and is ready to get back to life in the States. Dr. Ford Cooper is a glaciologist who never wants to leave the ice and who's been ignoring Angel since day one. But things go sideways when a scientist goes missing, a plane leaves early, and a murder is witnessed. Angel and Ford are forced to work together to ski nearly 400 miles across the unforgiving continent as Antarctic day gives way to Antarctic night.

Anders unspools this story masterfully. It begins in tight focus and slowly shifts outwards, with new character perspectives as the plot unfurls. Angel and Ford are well developed characters, but the most important character is the continent itself. The cold brutality of the land was apparent.

This was the first book I read in 2020 and it's set a high standard for following books to meet.

The Angel we meet here is a woman whose world was turned upside down when she became seriously injured, losing everything that she thought was precious. She’s dusted herself off and taken a temporary assignment cooking for researchers at the South Pole. What she hadn’t expected because frankly who would ,is to witness a murder that leaves her stranded and alone in the abandoned station.
Ford Cooper is a committed scientist who adores the isolation that the “Ice” give him but he’s also a man who struggles to cope with the chaos that his fellow humans all bring. Spotting blood whilst out checking his experiments Coop is left with an uneasy feeling that gets much worse when he discovers his fellow Pole workers have all disappeared ! Well all that is except for the very lively and perplexing Angel but things soon get even worse as the couple need to travel across the frozen, inhospitable Antarctic landscape all whilst knowing they have something that others are prepared to kill for !
This was a slow burn romance that features two people both damaged in their own way and I loved that the author didn’t rush the romance. What we get instead is a frightening and realistic to my mind picture of what true isolation and freezing conditions feel like. At times this was a claustrophobic read that enabled me to almost experience the dire conditions that this couple found themselves in. Yes they undertake a physical journey because hey those bad guys are definitely following them but more importantly both Angel and Coop experience what I can only describe as epiphanies. Truly a happy ending that is hard fought for and well deserved and I cannot recommend this author enough for her emotional and insightful stories.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair